All it takes is one ingredient to spark an interesting conversation. It was asafoetida (hing in Hindi or Perungayam in Tamil) that led to one of the most entertaining dinner conversations. Rajni Jinsi is one of the most famous people of Kashmiri Pandit cuisine. I chatted with her over dinner when she last arrived in Chennai at 601, all day dinner in Park Chennai. She showcased signature dishes from her Kashmiri Pandit culinary inventory in this culinary promotion. As the conversation progresses about cooking techniques and ingredients, Rajni mentions that one ingredient she can’t leave the house with is asafoetida.
I am on the southern end of the Kashmir spectrum to Kanyakumari and asafoetida was one of the first ingredients that fell in love with me as a child. I remember seeing my grandmother and mother use different forms of this ingredient, an everyday ingredient in our kitchen. My grandmother’s strict sattvic diet leaves no room for onions or garlic, which is why asafoetida is such a major flavoring ingredient. She is also a big advocate of the health benefits of asafoetida and convinced me to add a little of the powder to my daily glass of skim milk, after my breakfast, a practice I continue to do to this day. nowadays.
Asafoetida is one of the oldest recorded spices in the culinary history of the subcontinent. The KT Achaya (in Indian Food) lists black pepper (maricha) and asafoetida (hingu) as the main seasonings when the Aryans settled. According to Achaya, Hingu appears in the early Mahavagga of Buddhism, which is related to its import from Afghanistan. Even today the best asafoetida come from Afghanistan, the most popular hing in Delhi’s wholesale markets is the white Kabuli Hing.
My passion for this unique ingredient was further fueled by an insightful article (in Whetstone) by Vidya Balachander, a food writer who won her an ASJA Award for it. writes about Food and Drink in 2020, and an interesting Twitter thread by food writer Marryam H. Reshii surrounds her favorite ingredient. This is the time in 2020, scientists have planted 800 saplings of this species after the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India (CSIR) imported six types of seeds from Iran, the first time. India tries to grow this ingredient locally. India is the only country that widely uses asafoetida (between regions) yet continues to import all its claims.
Asafoetida is the dried latex secreted from the taproot of various Ferula species native to regions of Central Asia such as Iran and Afghanistan. It gets its name from its pungent smell – asa is the Latinized form of Aza (meaning drug or gum) while foetidus in Latun refers to the smell. Why is this condiment’s trivial name stinking gum and often referred to as devil’s poop or devil’s food. The French take it further – it’s called merde du Diabl or Devil’s shit. It is extremely pungent when raw but as soon as it is cooked in fat it becomes delicate and fragrant. One of the interesting points from the subject of Marryam H. Reshii is how asafoetida is a resin that needs to be stabilized. In North India, wheat flour is used while rice flour is the preferred stabilizer in India.
LG (Laljee Godhoo) has been a household name especially in South India since the 19th century. I remember my grandmother’s yellow blocky asafoetida package and my mother’s white plastic bottle being a fixture in many kitchens all over the world. throughout South India. LG was one of the first brands to introduce a convenient dough version in the 1980s. But many home cooks and cooks still swear by the block. Rajni tells me that she usually drops an ice cube in a jar and then dilutes it in water, a trick she learned from her mother. It still comes in handy when she is cooking Kashmiri Pandit at food promotions. Just like the Kashmiri Pandits, who traditionally do not use onions or garlic in their cuisine, asafoetida has become a popular flavoring ingredient for many communities in India such as the Jains.
(Also read: These 5 spices can heal you from the inside)
During my first COVID containment, I decided to make my own asafoetida powder at home. I source asafoetida blocks from a ‘nattu marundhu kadai’ (country drug store that sells traditional ingredients and herbs) in Chennai. You can also find these blocks online and try them at home:
Microwave method:
Break the asafoetida block into smaller pieces (you can use a hammer or stone pestle).
Grease the plate with very little oil (optional) and spread the patties. Microwave on ‘high’ for about 2-3 minutes. You will notice that they are a bit more powdery.
Grind it into a fine powder in a blender.
Photo Credit: iStock
Kitchen method:
Break the asafoetida block into smaller pieces (you can use a hammer or stone pestle). best known
Heat a non-stick pan. Spread some rice flour on the pan and then add the dough pieces. Fry for a few minutes until they become smoother.
Grind it into a fine powder in a blender.
I found this version to be even more fragrant and pungent than the commercially available powder. The health properties of Asafoetida are well documented. It is a known digestive and also a home remedy for colds. But more than that, asafoetida is the X-factor in many South Indian dishes like rasam or sambar. It never overwhelms the dish (it isn’t and it’s important to use smidgen) but is always an important side-effect that helps these dishes shine by staying in the background.
